My Weight Loss Journey – Week 45

Wow, I’m fast approaching a whole year since I started Weight Watchers! In fact I think I’ll be on my cruise when it happens! I can’t believe how far I’ve managed to come since last February. I’ve been lucky so far, that I haven’t had any major setbacks. I knew it would happen sooner or later, especially now that I’m getting closer to my goal, and it finally has.

Today I had a small gain of .3 lbs, bringing me back up to 198.2. It was to be expected at some point, although it was a little surprising because I haven’t been overindulging. Still, I have felt bloated the past few days, so I should have expected it. At any rate, it was a tiny gain in the long run, and one I’m sure I’ll recover from quickly.

prior to my little gain this week, I was doing so well, I decided to treat myself to a little Christmas gift over my vacation. I bought two (yes two) Instant Pots. A 3 qt. Duo, and a 6 qt. Ultra. The 3 qt. arrived on December 28th, and it’s been getting quite the workout! I’ve used it every day (sometimes multiple times per day) since the day it arrived. I’m really loving it, so you’re going to see quite a few posts over the next little while featuring recipes I’ve tried in it.

The 6 qt. only arrived on Thursday, and sadly it has not had as much use yet. I did complete a water test in it to make sure it worked, and I plan to put it to use making homemade Greek yogurt, but first I need the ingredients, and second, I need space in my fridge for the bowl while it sets.

Today I’m going to share the very first recipe I tried in my Instant Pot (aside from hard boiled eggs). In fact, I may have to start doing more recipe posts for a while until the excitement dies down.

Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow to release pressure naturally (NPR). Once pressure pin has dropped, open the pressure cooker, and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s smooth. Makes 2-3 servings

I served this with grilled cheese on flatbread, and some fruit.

This soup was a delicious first attempt, and was just enough for 3 meals for me. A win in my book, and a great introduction to my new kitchen gadget!

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28 thoughts on “My Weight Loss Journey – Week 45”

Lentil soup is a winner in my book too! I am still amazed at your consistent progress this past year, and .3 is really just a blip isn’t it? I always seem to have a bloat period, and you have now probably shed enough weight that you will start noticing some monthly patterns. So, that is actually a win for the week? 😄

I’m looking at it as a win. I was thinking the same thing, I know it’s going to get tougher as I get closer to goal, and a .3 lbs gain is, as you say, just a little blip. The point is to stay positive!

You have had such an amazing year!! I remember when you first started and it has been so inspiring to follow your progress! I bought my daughter an insta-pot for Christmas and she just loves it. I had never even heard of it before but thought it was something she would like. Can’t wait to see what you insta-cook!!! 😀 😀 😀

I was tempted that way too until people pointed out that you can cook less in the bigger pot, but you can’t overload the smaller one. The small one is great for a second pot though, and since I have both, it is the one I use most often. When in come to some dishes which are cooked pot in pot, I think the size of the 6 qt will handle them better, especially if you do 2 things at once.

The most important thing with it is the amount of liquid….you may have to add extra liquid to build up the steam for pressure, but you can then boil some of it off once it’s cooked. I’ve had to do that a couple of times, even in the smaller pot. But I haven’t had any issues with things burning. And if a dish is too thick to cook directly in the pot, you can cook it using the pot in pot method without having to water it down.

Also (I hit the reply button accidentally), the 3 qt is a Duo, and the 6 is an Ultra. I don’t think I really have a preference there. They can both do the same jobs, one just has a dial instead of buttons, and the Ultra has more preset programs, but I can achieve the same thing on the Duo with the manual pressure cooking setting.

I’m not exactly sure how it all works, but my wife assures me that it’s perfectly reasonable to celebrate ANY loss, but a gain under a half a pound doesn’t really count. 😉 What’s important is that you’re doing the right things and trending in the right direction.

My wife doesn’t have an Instapot, but she’s had a similar sort of multi-function pressure cooker for several years now, and she loves it. I’ve been thinking about getting one (if I use hers, I can only cook vegan stuff), and now I’m even more tempted.